This invention relates to a training device for athletic use and more particularly to a weighted training vest which may be worn by athletes while performing a wide variety of athletic activities.
The benefits of training for an athletic activity while using a weighted training vest are well known, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,302 issued May 10, 1983. That patent describes a weighted training vest in which weights are affixed to rigid front and rear panels forming the vest in a pattern adapted primarily for strengthening the wearer's leg and thigh muscles by providing increased resistance while the wearer is running. Running, however, is a solitary activity and does not involve potential body contact with other athletes nor is there much bending or twisting, especially of the upper body where the vest is worn.
A number of athletic activities such as basketball, tennis, or volleyball involve either considerable bending and twisting of the upper torso, or may involve close body proximity or even contact. In training for such sports, a desirable tool would be the use of a weighted training vest such as that described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,302. However, for these particular sports and other sports like them, such a training vest is inadequate because the weights can be easily knocked off if there is bodily contact or the placement of the weights may make certain upper torso movements difficult or impractical due to the fact that the weights protrude outwardly of the surface of the vest and have sharp edges and corners. Another problem with the aforementioned training vest is that many of the weights are placed too high on the upper body; that is, they are placed in the region of the chest and shoulders which can affect the athlete's balance due to the position of these weights relative to the body's center of mass. Thus, it would be desirable to have a weighted training vest which could be worn by athletes training for a wide range of athletic activities, even those involving bending and twisting of the upper body as well as close body proximity or even bodily contact without interfering with the athlete's movements and without the weights becoming knocked off the vest or otherwise creating an injury hazard.